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CIVIL WAR MEMORIES 



OCCUPATION OF NEW ORLEANS BY THE 31ST 
MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT AND THE FORCES 
UNDER COMMAND OF GEN. BUTLER, MAY 1, 1862. 



PERSONAL REMINISCENCES 



Paper Read Before the Biirnside Post, G. A. R.. Washing- 
ton, D. C, May 9. 1917, by J^ B. T. Tiipper, 31st Massa^ 
chusetts Regiment. 



Comrades: 

It is with great i)leasure tliat I greet you tliis evening, 
and will occupy a few minutes of your time with some per- 
sonal reminiscences of our "late unpleasantness." 

It was my good fortune to have been a member of the 
31st Massachusetts Kegiment at the time of the occupation 
of New Orleans by General Butler and the force under his 
command in 1862. 

Fifty-five years have pa.ssed since then, and I have for- 
gotten a great many things, but there are some impressions 
which have remained on my mind, vivid as of yesterday. 

In the first place, let us glance at the situation at that 
time and the circumstances leading to the movement against 
New Orleans .which resulted in one of the most brilliant 
victories of the war and one most far-reaching in its conse- 
(luences. New Orleans was the largest and most important 
city in the Southern Confederacy. I^efore the war it was 
the chief sugar and cotton mart in the United States. In 
1860-1861 it shipped $25,000,000 worth of sugar and $92,- 
000,000 worth of cotton, its export trade in these article^ 
being larger than that of any city in the world.* 

Situated about 100 miles from the Gulf of iNlexico, it was 
the emporium and natural outlet of the Mississippi Valley. 
Its population in 1860 was nearly 170,000, more than that 
of Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, and Richmond combined. 

From a political, as well as a military point of view, it 
was important that this strategic position should l)e in pos- 
session of the Union forces. 

Early in the war the attention of the Government was 
occupied with plans for its capture. 



* (.Jefferson Davis' ''Rise ami Fall of the Confederate Government. 
vol. 2, p. 210; Greeley's "The American Conflict," vol. 2, p. 85.) 



In November, 1861, (^'omnioddrc 1). D. ]\)rter re])orte(l 
to the Secretary of the Nnvv his plan for cai)turiii,o; the city. 
The (Secretary of the Navy pro])ose(l tliat the matter be laid 
before tlie President. President Lincoln approved the pro- 
ject, and remarked: "This shonld have been done sooner. 
The Miasissippi is the backbone of tlie rebellion ; it is the 
key to the whole .situation." 

The plan was to iHt out a naval expedition, witli a powerful 
motar llotilla, the army •!<.' furnish troops for occu]>yin,i2; the 
city after its capture. 

Edwin i\[. Stanton, who sncceeded Simon Cameron as Sec- 
retary of ^^'ar. was a man of o;reat ener,<2;y and comprehen- 
sive intellectual ,t2,ras]). 'A conference between him and 
(leneral Hutler resulted in a decision to make a vigorou.s 
effort to (•a])ture the city and hold the lower Mississippi. 
General ^h'Clellan. with his usual caution, thouoht the pro- 
])osed expedition was not feasible, as.it wonld, in his opinion, 
take 50,000 men. General Butler asked for only 15,000. 

The rendezvous for the army of occupation was at Ship 
Island, about ten miles ofT the coast of the State of INlissis- 
.sippi, midway between New Orleans and Mobile. The naval 
forces were placed under the command of Capt. David G. 
Farragut, then sixty years of age. 

Farragut sailed early in .January, 1852. He was instructed 
when I'ortcr's mortar fleet arrived to collect such vessels as 
could be spared from the l)lockade and proceed up the Mis- 
sissi])pi River and reduce the defenses which guarded the 
approaches to New Orleans, take possession of the city, and 
keep possession until troops should arrive. 

The 31st Massachusetts, after a winter in camp at Pitts- 
field, sailed from Boston, February 21, 1862, and reached 
Sliip Island, after various adventures, the latter part of 
j\Iarch. 

After Farragut liad ari'anged the naval part of the i)ro- 
gramme, the military forces, under General Butler, weve 
placed on transports and followed the fleet to the mouth of 



the Mississippi. During the battle we were on the river, a 
few miles below, awaiting the result. 

Perfect security was felt by the people at New Orleans. 
One of the journals at that time said: "Our only fear is 
that the Northern invaders may not appear. We have made 
such extensive preparations to receive them that it were 
vexatious if their invincible Armada escapes the fate we 
have in store for it." 

The forts, Jackson and St. Philip, one on each side of the 
river, about 75 miles below the city, were depended upon as 
the main defense. 

After several days of inetfectual bombardment, Farragut 
decided to make an attempt to run by. 

In the early morning of April 24 he succeeded, after a 
desperate battle, in passing with the largest part of his fleet. 
He proceeded up the river to New Orleans, and the city 
surrendered to him April 2'6. 

The forts surrendered a few days later, allowing the trans- 
ports with troops to pass up the river. 

It would be siii)erfluous to rehearse the story of the bom- 
bardment, tlie passage of the forts by the fleet, and the de- 
struction of the Confederate gunboats and other obstacles 
supposed to render New Orleans secure from approach by a 
liostile force. Suflice it to say, the deeds of that eventful 
day added new luster to the history of our Navy and ad- 
vanced Farragut to the front rank among the naval heroes 
of the world. 

I recall the beautiful morning of i\Iay 1, 1862, as the 31st 
Massachusetts, with other regiments of the army of occu])a- 
tion, steamed up the INIisi^issippi after the battle. The birds 
were singing, and all seemed quiet and peaceful as we passed 
plantations and orange groves and saw the banks with their 
semi-tropical verdure. Our hearts were exultant. It seemed 
like a holiday. ^\e arrived before New Orleans about mid- 
day. The wide levee in front of the city wa.s occupied by a 
large and curious crowd of spectators, of both sexes and all 



6 

ages and races, gathered to see the "Yankees." A bright 
uniform was now and tlien conspicuous in the crowd. After 
what seemed a long delay, orders were given to a detail of 
the 31st ]\Ia.^sachusetts, to which 1 belonged, to clear the 
levee i)reparatory to disembareation. We were cautioned 
not to engage in any conversation with the onlookers, nor to 
answer any tainits or unpleasant remarks that might be 
made. There was no fear of any armed opposition, as the 
populace was in awe of the gunboats at anchor in the river, 
with their guns pointing to the city, but we did not know 
what might ha})i)en in case some excitable and irresponsible 
persons should make a demonstration. 

The crowd pres.sed back, without any trouble or resistance, 
making room for tlie trooi)S to land. 

The honor of Ijeing the hr.'-t to land was given to the 31st 
Massachu.'^etts. Then came a splendid regiment from Wis- 
consin, commanded by Colonel, afterwards General, Paine. 
A few pieces of artillery and a Connecticut regiment followed, 
in all a force of about 2,501) men. 

Line was formed and the troops began to march ; General 
Butler and staff at the head of the column, on foot, following 
the band, playing National airs, a file of the 31st jMassachu- 
setts on each side. No hor.>-es had been landed, and the 
battery of artillery was drawn by hand. 

We passed through some of the j)rinci})al business streets, 
crowds lining the sidewalks and pressing into the street, 
hurrahing for Jeff Davis and Beauregard. One thing I re- 
member, seeing bodies of cavalry riding rapidly across the 
streets a few blocks away and wondering what there was to 
hinder them swoo])ing down on us and stopping our march. 

I remarked to one of my comrades: "There are more rebel 
soldiers here than there are Union." I found out afterwards 
that they were the foreign legion, composed of foreign resi- 
dents, organized for home service to ])reserve order. They 
offered their services afterwards to General Butler, to assist 
in preserving peace, but he declined to accei)t. They were 



in sympathy with the Confederates, as shown later, when, 
upon being disbanded, they sent their arms to Beauregard. 

By the time we reached the Custom House, our camping 
place for the night, it was nearly dark. The Connecticut 
regiment bivouacked on the levee. 

The capture of New Orleans was the greatest victory that 
at that time had been achieved by the Union forces. 

A blow was struck that staggered the Confederacy, from 
which it never recovered. Union men took heart again, and 
its effects were felt in England and throughout Europe. 

Slidell wrote from Paris to l^enjamin, Secretary of State 
of the Confederacy, that if New Orleans had not fallen, the 
recognition of the Confederacy would not have been much 
longer delayed. 

General Butler's first order, issued at disembarcation, was 
against plundering by the soldiers. 

That did not prevent, however, those who were on guard 
the first night at the Custom House from ransacking the post- 
oftice in the same building and securing postage stamps and 
, specimens of Confederate money. I may have some yet. 

General Butler's administration was marked by rigor and 
decision from the moment of his arrival. On the same day 
(May 1) he issued a proclamation of some length, estab- 
lishing martial law, providing for taking the oath of alle- 
giance, notifying all persons holding allegiance to the Con- 
federate States that they would be treated as enemies and 
rebels, enjoining the inhabitants to pursue their usual avo- 
cations, forbidding assemblages of persons in the streets tend- 
ing to disorder, establishing a censorship of the press, etc. 

The New Orleans True Delta refused to print the procla- 
mation and its publication was suspended. 

May 13 an order was issued, stating that, as several 
churches were proposing to observe a day of fasting and 
prayer "in obedience to some supposed proclamation of one 
Jefferson Davis," no such observance be had. Churches 



8 

were to Ije kci)t ojjen, a.s in time of peace, but no exercises 
were allowed upon the supposed authority above mentioned. 

.Vnother order directed that six Confederate soldiers, cap- 
tured at forts Jackson and St. Philip, who violated their 
parole of lionor and were convicted by a military commis- 
sion, should '^)e shot to death. ] am hai)py to state, however, 
that clemency prevailed and the order was not carried out. 

Tlie celebrated "Woman Order," about which so nuicli 
has been said and Avritten, Avas issued May 15, Gen. Order 
No. 28, to the efi'ect that females who offered insults to officers 
or soldiers of the Union army were liable to be treated as 
"women about town" plying their aAocation. 
- In my experience in New Orleans, where I remained for 
several months, going about the city night and day, I never 
met an insult or experienced any trouble from man or 
woman. Others, however, report differently. 

I remember one gentleman in particular with whom I had 
frequeht discussions on the merits of the issues at stake be- 
tween North and South, and we aired our diverse views in a 
jovial and friendly manner, entertaining nothing but kind 
and cordial feelings to each other individually. 

Being detached from my regiment and assigned to duty 
with the quartermaster of the post, I had opportunities, when 
not on duty, of going about and mingling with tlie people, 
whom I found friendly disposed, as a rule, and willing to 
aid the Government by personal service for a suitable re- 
muneration, or to dispose of articles needed or desired for a 
quid pro quo. 

The use of Confederate notes as currency lasted Imt a 
short time, and many peo[)le were glad to get work under 
Uncle Sam and receive ])ay in greenbacks. 

No doubt bitterness rankled in the hearts of many, but 
who could blame them. AMiile the cannon was booming out- 
side, mothers and fathers, with sons in the Confederate Araiy, 
friends, neighbors, and sweethearts were naturally in sj'm- 
pathy. I respected the men or women who had the courage 



9 

and the conscience to register their names as "enemies," 
under Butler's order, and take the consequences. 

Kew (irleans had not been a radical seces.<ion city. Her 
interests were with th^e Union, and Bell and Everett were 
jjopular candidates for President and ^^ice-President in 18(30, 
Bell having received more votes than either Douglass or 
Breckenridge. 60,000 took the oath of allegiance heforc 
General Butler left the Department. 

It is not my })urpose to give an account of (leneral 
Butler's regime in New Orleans. Ilis course was arbitrary 
and severe, but justified by the conditions which existed, and 
that will be the verdict of history. A man of great admin- 
istrative ability was needed, and he proved ec|ual to the task, 
preserving order, furnishing labor for the imemployed, feed- 
ing the populace, keeping the city clean and healthy, and 
handling with a master hand questions relating to civil and 
nuuiicipal administration. I remained through his admin- 
i.^tration, i)erforming services in various lines of duty in 
the (Quartermaster's De}>artment clerical and administrative. 
After him came General Banks, with a larger army. 

One day, in July, 18(33, an order was received at head- 
quarters from the Secretary of War, directing my discharge, 
to enable me ''to accept a position in the Navy Department." 

This order was unsought by me, as I expected to remain 
in the service for the period of enlistment, I took immediate 
steps, however, to comply without grumbling, as was my 
custom when I received orders, and, after fraternizing with 
the captured Confederates at Port Hudson and witnessing 
their parole and saying good-bye and good luck to comrades, 
left for home via the Mississippi and Cairo, 

I prize this certificate of discharge and the testimonial re- 
ceived from the State of Massachusetts as evidencing some 
participation, however slight and humble it may be, in the 
war in defense of the Union, and in events which called into 
exercise the best qualities of American manhood and added 
bright sjiots to the kaleidescope of American history. 



10 

It would lie interesting if I luul time to follow the fortunes 
of the regiment and tell of its exploits in fields and bayous, 
on the march and at the siege, and the "forlorn hope," till 
after four years of service the boys, -now liecome veterans, 
returned their tattered Hags to the State of Massachusetts to 
be ])reserved among her i)riceless relics. All lionor to these 
veterans! Their ranks are rajndly diminishing, but they 
are fortunate and to be envied, those that have gone and 
those that are left, for their eyes have seen the glory of the 
Lord. 



i«'««v or CONFESS 



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